This invention relates to a California type shoe having a contoured midsole.
A shoe known as a California type shoe or a shoe of California construction is considered extremely comfortable because it is soft and cushiony to the wearer's foot. In a California type shoe, an upper is stitched to a sock liner, which may or may not be padded, and these components are joined to an outsole. There is no full insole that must bend as the shoe is worn. The combined upper and sock liner form an enclosure for the foot somewhat like a sock. The outsole functions as a platform.
Usually in the California type shoe, the sock liner or insole is attached directly to the outsole by gluing. The outsole typically is of man-made material that is durable to withstand the effects of various kinds of contact with walking surfaces. Therefore, the outsole is not particularly soft or cushiony to the foot. To increase the cushion effect, the sock liner is sometimes formed of split layers enclosing a cushion of sponge material or alternatively a midsole of a cushiony material is incorporated in the shoe.
In both the cushioned sock liner and the cushion midsole, the cushion material is of uniform cross-section, and although the contoured outer sole will provide a contoured shape to the bottom of the foot, the resilience of the sock liner cushion or midsole is uniform over the bottom of the foot rather than varying with the foot contour. Accordingly, enhanced cushioning is not provided to areas of the foot, such as the arch, that most need it. As will appear, the present invention provides significant improvements over the prior art as above described and as represented by the patents which will now be discussed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,076 discloses a shoe that is somewhat similar to a California type shoe. In the shoe of this patent, there is a foam pad midsole, but the midsole is of uniform thickness. U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,118 discloses a shoe having a contoured midsole of cork-latex. The shoe of this patent is not a California type shoe. U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,223 discloses a moccasin type shoe that incorporates a midsole of an unspecified foam. The midsole is of uniform thickness. U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,600 discloses a shoe having a contoured outer sole with an arch support. The shoe is not a California type shoe and there is no midsole. U.S. Pat. No. 3,325,919 discloses a shoe having an inner core surrounding the foot that conforms to the shape of the foot. U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,361 discloses a shoe having a stocking-like upper joined to a contoured outsole. The shoe is not a California type shoe, and there is no midsole.